Maine city reconsiders fire department staffingOfficials in Portland, Maine, want an independent consultant to study fire department staffing patterns after data showed 75% of the 9-1-1 calls the department responded to in 2012 were for medical emergencies instead of fires. The trend is linked to better fire codes and prevention. In light of the data, Fire Chief Jerome LaMoria said the city should improve its EMS capabilities. Portland Press Herald (Maine)
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Va. county seeks solutions for high 9-1-1 call volumeMartinsville-Henry County administrator Tim Hall said the large call volume at the emergency dispatch center may mean additional dispatchers and better public education about when to dial 9-1-1 are needed. Data show the Virginia county's center had 84,045 dispatched 9-1-1 calls last year, exceeding the national average of 54,000 for a medium-sized facility, and that less than half of all calls represented actual emergencies. Martinsville Bulletin (Va.)
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Policy Pulse

Calif. lawmaker proposes stricter penalties for "swatting"Recent 9-1-1 hoax calls involving celebrities prompted California state Sen. Ted Lieu to sponsor legislation calling for tougher fines and jail time for people convicted of "swatting" or sending police to a home on a false report of a crime in progress. Other states have had to deal with swatting problems, and Steve Whitmore of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said officers are getting better at determining which calls are the real emergencies. San Francisco Chronicle/The Associated Press
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App puts hazmat guidance on first responder mobile devicesA free, mobile application for the Emergency Response Guidebook 2012 is available from the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The guidebook helps first responders handle hazardous materials quickly. "During those first critical moments when you go to an incident -- for example a tractor-trailer filled with a chemical -- you need to know immediately how to respond, and that's the information the ERG provides," PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman said. Urgent Communications
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